Filling-machine.



W, MUNN.

FILLING MACHINE.

APPLIcMloN man MAR. a. m5.

y l PutcntedIIIuly 10, 1917.

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r-imL L HOI V 'ITNESSES: v 1N VEN'IOR W. MUNN.

FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION msn MAR. 8. 1915.

l l Patented July 10, 1917.

\VITNES SES INVENTOR v l v I YW/f W.MUNN FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rIL MAR.B.I9I5.

Lmm Patented July 10, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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INVENTORv BY wfg/@gif WILLIAM Munn, or ALAMEDA, cani-0am FILLING-MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patmtd July M), 191% Appiicafin med Amen s, me. serial no. 12,716.

To all 'whom it may concern: Y Be it known that I, WILLIAM MUNN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, in the county' of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and Vuseful lmprovements in Filling-Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to filling machines,

and pertains especially to machines adaptedto fill cans and other receptacles with sticky or .plastic material, although manifestly it will be adapted to the handling of other materials and various forms of receptacles.

The objects and advantages will be apparent hereinafter.

The invention consists of the parts and the combination and construction of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is ya horizontal section and `plan I view on line 2 2 of Fig. 3, immediately below the chargin wheel.

Fig. 3 is a ront elevation with parts broken away.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the ratchet mechl amsm.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the cam mechanism foroperating the charging plunger.

6 is a vertlcal transverse section on 1in@ (Le 0f rig. a

Fig. 7 is a detail section of the charging cylinder plunger elevated.

Fig. 8 1s a detail `section of they charging cylinder with the plunger down.

Fig. l9 is a bottom view of the charging plunger. l

Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical section of the charging plunger.

A is a suitable frame-work having a bed 2 which is traversed by4 theendless conveyer belt 3. rlhe belt 3 is supported on end pulleys 4 5; pulley 5 being fast on shaft 6,

which is driven through 7 from the drive shaft 8.-

Mounted adjacent to the conveyer 3 is a vertical turret shaft 1Q carrying the turret or measuring device 11 and the star wheel conveyer 12; turret 11 being sufiiciently elevated above the bed of the Vtable 2 to accommodate the cans. 13, which latter are the sprocket chain conveyed from the belt by the star wheel 12 around beneath the filling devices and then returned on to the belt, as indicated in vll16 Imeasurmg openings 18 15 is a stationary hopper with a bottom having one or more openings 17 adapted to reglster with corresponding chargingand in the turret 11. As

4positioned that each ltime the turret comes to rest, three openings 18 in the turret- Will register with these three openings 17 in the hopper; 1t being understood that the turret. and star wheel and cans during the filling operation of the cans are given a step by step movement in unison, through appropriate drive connections with the drive shaft 8. As here shown, this intermittent movement of the turret and cans is accomplished through a crank 19 onshaft 8, link 20 and pawl and ratchet mechanism 21 acting on the shaft 22, and the miter gears 23"-24 and shaft 10. 25 isa fixed bottom plate disposed immediately beneath a portion of the turret and extending from al point ahead of the irst of the charging openings 17 to a point a little beyond where the material is de-` livered from a pocket 18, and is adapted to support the material in the pockets while the turret is traversin the hopper and until the point of delivery 1s reached. This plate has three small bleed ports or air openings y 26 corresponding to and in' line with the charging openings 17 in the bottom of the hopper;v these ports 26, being for the purpose of letting any air escape that might otherwise be trapped by the material falling into the, pockets 18 from above. Plate 25 also has another opening 27 which is approximately the same size as the can and is beyond the hopper, and is the last step of the turret before the can is returned to the conveyer belt.

ln line with and above the opening 27 is a filling .plunger 29, which is reciprocable in suitable yguides 30, by means of a walking beam 31, links 32, cam rollers 33-34.- and 100 respective cams 35-36 on shaft 8. The

. rollers 34 are mounted on respective slides 37 which slide in. suitable guides in the frame and are connected to the link 32; the

lower roller 33 ybeing hit by the cam 35, to 105y turret and cans, and at the time that a can 110 to be filled is in line beneath the opening 27 and a charge chamber 18 under it.

" 3 here shown, there are three of these charging o free the material from the end of the plunger and prevent the latter being drawn upward and out of the can when' the plunger is retracted.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The cans-are fed on to the belt and directed by suitable guide Ways 45 into the star wheel or spider 12; the belt being. operated continuously and the star wheel and filling mechanism intermittently. Step by step the cans are moved around with and beneath the turret charging device 11, in line Withpockets 18 and brought into register with the successive openings 17 in the bottom of the hopper; the latter being charged with material to be canned.

In actual practice where these machines are now in use, the material operated upon is a pasty mass of about the consistency of deviled ham. As the charging member or turret 11 comes to rest, three pockets 18 are brought into register with the hopper openings 17. Gravity causes the materialin the hopper to press down into and fill the pockets 18 beneath; the air vents 26 in the bottomplate 25 preventing any trapped air from operating against the proper filling of the pockets. During this preliminary charging of the pockets 18 the plastic mass is supported on the bottom plate 25. In the succeeding steps of the turret or charging member the material is further forced down through the dragging action of the turret beneath, by means of the radial inclined deflecting plates 46, arranged in the bottom of the hopper between the openings 17. These deflecting plates and the successive passage of the turret beneath the several openings 17 causes the pockets as they leave the hopper to be completely filled. The filled pocket is then moved along the plate 25 until it stops over the opening 27 in plate 25 Where the material ,thus being left unsupported may be dropped by gravity 'and under the charging action of plunger 29, into the can beneath. The air passing through ports 41-42 serves to free the face of the plunger from the sticky mass beneath and prevents pulling up the mass when the plunger is retracted. In the next step the filled can is deposited on the belt and carried ofi' to any suitable point of delivery.

The turret in its continued rotation has its underside adapted to scrape against a tubular scraper 48, which cleans of any of the material tending to Stick to the turret and to dischar e it through the tube at a point outside 0% the machine.

It is manifest that various changes in details of construction may be made in the machine, Without departing from the principle of the invention.

While I have described the device in its particular use for filling cans, it will be manifest that any other suitable or appropriate receptacle according to the nature of the article packaged, or the desired style of the finished package, may be used.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A filling machine comprising in combination a constantly traveling endless carrier, a turret adjacent to the carrier having a step by step movement, said turret having charging openings, a device rotating in step with the turret for moving receptacles from the carrier and positioning them beneath the turret in registry with the charging openings and returning the receptacles to the carrier, and means for'delivering the material to be charged first to the charging openings and thence to the receptacles.

2. A filling machine comprising in combination a constantly traveling endless carrier, a revolving turret with charging openings extending over the carrier and spaced therefrom to accommodate receptacles on the carrier, means for removing receptacles from the carrier and returning them thereto and in the interim causing the receptacles to travel in step with the turret, a stationary plate forming a temporary bottom for the charging openings, a hopper above the turret and having a bottom with one or more openings registerable With the chargingy openings in the turret, said plate having air vents registerable With the discharge openings in the bottom of the hopper, and means for positively expelling the contents of a charging opening into a receptacle.

3. In a can filling machine, the combination of a charging turret having charging openings, means for conveying cans in unison with the turret and .in line with and beneath the charging openings, and plunger means to deliver the material from the charging openings into the cans, said plunger being provided with auxiliary pressure forming means for preventing the WithdraWalof the material from the cans.

4. In a can filling machine, the combination of revolving turret member having a charging opening, a plate over which the turret moves and which plate forms a bottom for the opening, said plate having a perforation adapted to laline with the charging opening at the moment of filling the opening so as to release any air which might otherwise be trapped, and means for delivering the charge in the charging opening into a can.

5. In a can filling machine, a charging member having open ended charging pockets, and a plunger operating in the suc* cessive pockets, said plunger having air pressure supply means to free the plunger from accumulations as it is retracted from a pocket. i

6. In a can lilling machine, a charging member having open ended charging pockets, a plate forming a temporary bottom for certain of the pockets, a plunger operating in the successive pockets, said plunger having its end which enters the pockets perfo rated With an air chamber formed behind said perforations,and an air outlet through the plunger from said air chamber.

7. In a can filling machine, a charging member having open ended charging pookets, a plate forming a temporary bottom 4for certain ofthe pockets, a plunger operating in successive pockets, said plunger having its end which enters the pockets perforated with an air chamber formed behindy said perforations, and an air outlet through the plunger from said air chamber, and a source lings through the other end of the tube.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination with can carrying means, of a charging turret, a supply hopper above said turret, and deecting plates in said hopper inclined relatively to the bottom of the hopper and positioned between the dischargeA openings thereof for feeding material from the hopper to the charging turret.

10. In a can filling machine, the combination With a moving turret having charging "1 openings, of a supply hopper above said turret, and deflecting plates in said. hopper adjacent the chargingopenin-gs in the turret.

In testimony. whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

" WILLIAM MUNN.

Witnesses:

LEONARD DREYFUS, JAMES T. GRAHAM. 

